Should I get a Rubicon

nick800

nick800

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Aug 11, 2016
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I've been debating getting one of these, but can't make up my mind. I'm a big PM2 fan, and also recently obtained a GB1.

I like more high end steels, so the S30V doesn't do much for me. Basically, the fit and finish would have to be outstanding for me to be happy with the purchase.
 
I like mine, and there is nothing wrong with S30V, for me. It might not be the best for large hands, as it is a smaller frame. My biggest gripe would be the backspacer, it is very sharp and poorly thought out. I had a knife maker friend replace it with a blackwood spacer. The overall fit and finish on mine is quite nice, flips smooth, detent is good, and grinds are spot on, CF is nice.

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I love the Rubicon. Great knife! I agree that I would of been much happier with a higher end steel as well. 204p, XHP, S90V, S110V, etc.

The backspacer can be a little rough. I have made several of them for people. Geared, flush/smooth, and some just like stock but in different materials like carbon fiber and glow in the dark.

Its discontinued and on sale right now ....it really is the best time to buy it because it will only go up in price like most spydercos do once they are discontinued.

I know the Rubicon 2 is coming out soon and its basically the same exact knife....except is has a top layer of peel ply carbon fiber and a smooth g10 backspacer.
If the spacing is the same for the screws, then you could swap backspacers between the 2 models.
 
I had a rubicon...hated it. It's like carrying a dowel rod in your pocket.


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wtlj said:
I had a rubicon...hated it. It's like carrying a dowel rod in your pocket.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I hated it too. Too thick a handle. Don't like the blade shape.
 
I got one fairly recently, I love it. The build quality is incredible and its by far the best flipping action I've gotten in a Spyderco. The handle is fairly thick, which isn't awesome in pocket, but its fantastic in hand. The lockbar is not terribly accessible, so I ended up grinding a groove in the non locking liner to give better lock access, and now its brilliant. the backspacer is a bit sharp, so I also ground down the sharp areas there too.

Basically it took a little bit of warranty voiding modification, but its a bloody brilliant knife now. I have a deep carry clip being made for it right now as well. The build quality and flipping action are superb, and I love how it looks. For $200 its a great deal, $300 was probably a bit much.
 
I really like the polished carbon fiber. The orange was a nice touch and I'm not an orange kind of guy. May have liked a royal blue or an indigo instead. The quality was very good. Didn't like much else about it when I handled it. Never commented much about it because it's probably been the spyderco I've liked the least.
 
It's a polarizing knife for sure. I sold mine cause I never carried it, but it had the best Flipping action out of any Spyderco I've owned. I might pick up another... It's a fun knife.
 
If you like it, get it. Soon they won't be available and I'm guessing prices will rise. I'd guess in a year or two we will see prices back up above current rates. I think it will hold a place as a unique collectors example of the build quality Spyderco can produce. I think there are better ways to invest but if you were going to go light on the knife I don't see it dropping any more in value and potentiall going up.
 
If you want to buy mainly because of a big price drop, I say no you do not buy it. If you like the knife and have been eyeing it for long, then yes you pull the trigger. This logic actually applies to many goods.
 
It depends if you want this knife to make a profit or if you truly love this knife's design. If you think the price will go up in the future then I would say buy it from an entrepreneurial aspect! But if this is a knife you have been eyeballing for a while but have been deterred by the price then take advantage of this offer and get it!
 
benzy2 said:
If you like it, get it. Soon they won't be available and I'm guessing prices will rise. I'd guess in a year or two we will see prices back up above current rates. I think it will hold a place as a unique collectors example of the build quality Spyderco can produce. I think there are better ways to invest but if you were going to go light on the knife I don't see it dropping any more in value and potentiall going up.
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I don't think the Rubicon will see prices rise, it was never that popular of a knife. I have one that I never carry. It's just too thick, too short, too uncomfortable with a less than ideal blade shape. It also was very expensive for the sum of the parts. Although a good flipper for a Spyderco, its not a great flipper compared to others. I don't sell off knives but the Rubicon is one of the few that I've honestly considered recovering some losses on.

Don't forget, the Rubicon 2 is coming soon at what looks to be a bad street price. $210 for S30V and peel ply CF/G10 seems a little out of touch, although it's a little better than $300 for the original. It does bring a slimmer overall pocket package so from that standpoint it solves some of the problems of the Rubicon. The existence of the Rubicon 2 almost dooms the Rubicon to suppressed value. The 2 is probably a better knife.

But, I do agree that if you like it, get it. Discontinued Spydies tend to sell off fast as soon as the discounts are applied. Looks like BHQ is already out of stock.
 
Hackenslash said:
I don't think the Rubicon will see prices rise, it was never that popular of a knife. I have one that I never carry. It's just too thick, too short, too uncomfortable with a less than ideal blade shape. It also was very expensive for the sum of the parts. Although a good flipper for a Spyderco, its not a great flipper compared to others. I don't sell off knives but the Rubicon is one of the few that I've honestly considered recovering some losses on.

Don't forget, the Rubicon 2 is coming soon at what looks to be a bad street price. $210 for S30V and peel ply CF/G10 seems a little out of touch, although it's a little better than $300 for the original. It does bring a slimmer overall pocket package so from that standpoint it solves some of the problems of the Rubicon. The existence of the Rubicon 2 almost dooms the Rubicon to suppressed value. The 2 is probably a better knife.

But, I do agree that if you like it, get it. Discontinued Spydies tend to sell off fast as soon as the discounts are applied. Looks like BHQ is already out of stock.
Click to expand...

I disagree about the 2 being a better knife. The 2 is a cheaper knife, with cheap peel ply cf/G10 slab handles it will be cheaper to produce and slimmer in pocket, but worse in hand and an overall quality decrease, even if the execution is perfect. I do like the standard spoon clip on the 2, as it makes doing an aftermarket clip much easier with the standard hole pattern. But its a much less ambitious attempt, its a very sterilized and production streamlined version of what was a much more interesting knife in version 1.0. It lost a lot of the flair (such as the orange accents) that may have been polarizing, but they also made it much more of standout product than the vanilla rubicon 2.0.
 
I like the Rubicon blade a lot. Just beautiful.

Usually a fan of orange details and orange handles, for some reason, I dont quite get along with the orange detail on the Rubicon.

Dont get me wrong, Id very much like to get my mitts on a Rubicon - just not keen on the orange spot for some reason I cant quite put my finger on.
 
I think the rubicon is indicative of spyderco trying to keep up with the joneses. Technically speaking it's a great knife, but no one really wanted it. Spyderco should just keep on marching to the beat of its own drum. It made them successful for a reason. Function over form should be spyderco's rallying cry. The rubicon, as technically awesome as what it is, does not meet that standard and hopefully brings the engineers and designers at golden back to earth. Stay away from trying to compete with ZT and whoever about form over function. You'll lose your way.
 
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